Artemis Fowl: The Unidentified Documents
by KASLiNN
Summary: Post EC. Hang on to your hats, folks, this story takes off right away and doesn't stop for a moment! Be prepared for randomness, romance, verbal sparring and of course, everyone's favorite criminal mastermind. Hopefully will be novel length, WIP
1. Discovery and LEPrecon and Panic, oh My!

Hello all, and welcome to Artemis Fowl: The Unidentified Documents. Yes, Kaslinn has discovered the realm of Artemis Fowl at long last and the idea of a fanfic was just too good to pass up There is a warning to go along with this story, though. And here it is.  
  
WARNING: This will be a mostly random fanfic. If any of you glorious readers out there have come in search of a solid, plot driven fic, then you have, sadly, come to the wrong place. The Unidentified Documents are named as such because of their nature: they can not be identified because the authoress has practically no idea where she is going with it. This may come of a shock to those of you that are seasoned readers of mine (koffMeagankoff) as I am usually fairly good at keeping a steadily paced plot going. But this fic is different. I shall write the chapters as I see fit, or in other words, when I get a particularly juicy idea, it will go into this fic regardless of where I am plot wise at the given moment.   
  
Don't be scared, though. I _do_ have a plot. I do know where this is going. I will have some mystery to this story and it won't be completely PWP. But this is going to be a collaboration of ALL genres! There's action, adventure, drama, angst, horror, humor, angst, fantasy, drama, more drama, and oh yes, did I mention angst? But really, did you expect anything else out of me? . Trust me, it will be good.  
  
Basically, I will write chapters in accordance to the mini-plot it revolves around. This will help me keep track of what ideas I have done and what I haven't, since this is going to be so random. For example the first four chapters of this fic will be known as the Sickness Scheme arc. Okay?  
  
Well then, if we're all clear, then sit back, buckle up, and enjoy!  
  
Arc: SS (if this happens to confuse or aggravate people, just ignore it. It is mostly for my benefit)  
  
Chapter One: Discovery and LEPrecon and Panic, oh My! (but not necessarily in that order)  
  
When asked about the nature of leprechauns, most people conjure up the image of hairy little midgets in neon green trousers and matching suspenders who shout coined phrases such as "Top o' the morning" or "They're always after me Lucky Charms". They are also known to have pot bellies, hoard pots of gold on the other side of the rainbow and partake in similarly stereotypical things. It was all rather insulting to the true definition of a leprechaun, which was really a misnomer. The word leprechaun is the human misinterpretation of LEPrecon, or the Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance Squad. And as of today, LEP officers did not suit up in green or don knickerbockers for their uniforms. The thought of elusive leprechauns who winked slyly at children from shadowy rose bushes, although charming, was a great misconception.  
  
Captain Holly Short of LEPrecon was a prime example of what a human most likely would not classify as a leprechaun. Firstly, she was technically an elf, the LEPrecon bit being more a title than a race classification. Secondly, though she did possess trademark red hair and flawless olive skin, she was not excessively hairy or portly. On the contrary, she was quite lithe, and if you were inquisitive about her occupation, you might suggest she was a gymnast or a professional swimmer. Lastly, she did not have an insatiable amount of gold or a rainbow at her disposal. And she most definitely never said "Top o' the morning" to anyone. Especially today.  
  
No, today was not a day for such a greeting. Today was the day for unprintable oaths, screaming, and general panic. The reason? The Mud Men, the humans, had discovered Haven. Haven was the subterranean fairy city, the only one safe from human invasion left on the planet. Until today. Today a routine satellite scan had picked up an Irish news report on an unexplored city underground where a society of beings unknown to man was said to be living. It had been a small story, and obviously uninteresting to the general Mud Man public, but the People were instantly on alert. A city-wide lockdown was issued, forcing all civilians to their homes and all officers to the nearest depot for further instruction. There would be no being caught unawares. If they brushed this off, they could very well end up with humans at their door, hoping to dissect a few specimens for scientific purposes. It was every fairy's nightmare.  
  
So Holly did as protocol demanded and made for the closest military building, dragging her unwilling companion along with her. The companion was a fairy of many names, including Mo Digence and Lance Digger, but around Haven, particularly the LEP headquarters, he was commonly known as Mulch Diggums, kleptomaniac dwarf with a criminal record long enough to put him behind bars for centuries to come. Not to mention the fact that he'd escaped custody nearly two dozen times, perhaps more, and that did not make Holly's superior, Commander Julius Root, at all happy. Of course, Root was very rarely happy; in fact he was in an apoplectic rage for a good portion of the day, which earned him the affectionate nickname Beetroot.   
  
Normally Mulch's capture would lighten even one of Root's more volcanic moods, but not today. When Holly brought him before the red faced fairy, she found herself pushed back to the shadows, her spectacular catch swamped by swarms of fairies with technical readouts, battle plans, and informational stats. It was a madhouse. The whole Police Plaza was the same way. Each fairy had a different job to do, from analyzing the newscast to stockpiling goods and wares in case an evacuation was called for. Foaly, a centaur with a genius for anything technological, was a member of the former group and didn't spare her a glance or a sarcastic comment either, something Holly found amazing.  
  
"So why don't you just let me go, Holly?" Mulch's voice said at her elbow. "In all this confusion, no one would know I'm gone."  
  
"No one knows you're here," said Holly distractedly. It was true. No one had so much as looked their way since their arrival. She tried several times to catch Root's eye, but the commander was securely preoccupied.  
  
Mulch rattled his handcuffs pointedly. "Exactly. Come on now, we're old friends, aren't we?"  
  
Holly shook her head. "Forget it, Mulch. Even if I did want to let you go on the basis of us being "old friends," I couldn't do it now. Not with the threat of Mud Men descending on us at any moment. The less we expose of ourselves, the better. Now be quiet. I'm trying to get the Commander's attention."  
  
The corner of Mulch's mouth twisted into a sly smirk. "Really? That should be simple enough." And before Holly could stop him, he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Oh Julius! Julius, is this how you greet guests? What are you so busy with that you can't even greet an old friend?"  
  
Approximately three seconds of dead silence followed this. Then:  
  
"CONVICT!"  
  
A short time after that, Holly found herself personally invited into Root's office, Mulch and Foaly accompanying her. Mulch would soon be occupying a cell in Howler's Peak, but Root wanted the opportunity to gloat first. However, it would have to wait until he finished grilling Foaly about the newscast. Holly wasn't quite sure why she was there, but she assumed it probably had to do with the fact that if there was work to be done topside, she was Root's primary elf. She wasn't complaining though. This way she would find out from Haven's most reliable source just how close to apocalypse the People really were.  
  
Root wasted no time. "Well Foaly? Any news on the reporter that just told all of Ireland that a whole nation full of fairies is living underground? Tell me that none of the Mud Men are launching an investigation."  
  
"None of the Mud Men are launching an investigation." Said Foaly promptly, but before Root could sigh heavily and allow a fraction of the purple hue to fade from his face, the centaur continued, "But there are quite a few of them out there who are very interested in this underground society. There's a group forming as we speak with goals to find us and "make peace.'" He snorted, a very horse like sound indeed. "Unlikely. We'll probably be at war with them within a week."  
  
Root looked as if he had swallowed hot coals. "How did this happen? Who was spotted? Who told the Mud Men? How did that reporter find out?"  
  
Foaly drummed his fingers on Root's desk, looking amused. "Those are all fine questions, Julius. But unfortunately I don't know the answer to any of them. No one was reported being sighted by humans, there have been no breeches in security, and we haven't been pinged. Whoever this guy is who discovered us must be psychic or making up a story so close to reality that we're all being scared witless."  
  
Holly's brow knitted at this. "Do we know if the reporter is the one who found us out or if someone else informed him?"  
  
"No solid evidence on that either," admitted Foaly, shaking his head. "We're completely in the dark here. No clues. No leads. It came out of no where."  
  
A fungus cigar found its way to Root's mouth. He smoked regularly, but heavily when things looked bad. "We need an informant on the surface. Someone who knows Mud Men and has access to Mud Men devices."  
  
"We don't have any contacts like that." Foaly pointed out unnecessarily. Haven didn't exactly stay hidden by having its location broadcasted to just anyone, although apparently someone had done just that.  
  
Holly felt a knot in her stomach grow. She debated on whether to say her thoughts aloud, since they really had no purpose other than to basically say "I told you so." But Holly couldn't resist. It was too hard to keep her mouth shut, so she said with no lack of smugness, "Too bad we decided to wipe Artemis Fowl of his memories of us."   
She felt both Root and Foaly glaring at her. But Mulch, formally dead silent from his position near Holly's side, shifted guiltily. Holly rounded on him. Mulch was known for being someone of an information withholder, especially in times of crisis. "What?"  
  
Mulch looked like he had just got caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. Under the murderous stares of all three LEP officials, he muttered, "Well, you see...uh...Artemis…_doesrememberus_."  
  
Approximately three seconds of silence ensued after this statement while Root deciphered the dwarf's hasty confession.   
  
Then he exploded.  
  
"CONVICT!" The commander roared, his face turning a lovely shade of puce. Mulch jumped back, looking uncharacteristically spooked by the fairy's outburst. Then again, Root really did look ready to murder him (something that he promised often), so Holly stepped in.  
  
"Mulch, what do you mean? How would you know if Artemis remembers us?" Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest she was sure every fairy within in the office could hear it. Could it really be true? Was Artemis truly aware of the People again? Holly had mixed feelings about that. If Mulch was indeed telling the truth for once, it meant that one of the People's most dangerous wild cards was back in the game. Artemis had a tendency to manipulate the People, particularly herself and Foaly, into doing his dirty work while he got off with something to benefit himself and no one but himself. After all, it was Artemis who had kidnapped Holly four years ago with an ingenious plan to separate the fairies from a generous amount of their gold, even though his family was one of the richest in Ireland. However, on the flip side, the Mud Boy was a genius; he'd only been twelve years of age when he had invented his scheme to get rich off a fairy's ransom fund. It was during that whole fiasco that Artemis had proved that he could escape the fairy Time Stop, something no Mud Man had ever done before, even at three times his age. Holly still didn't know how he had managed that one. Of course, no Mud Man was supposed to be able to cheat the mind wipe system either, but Artemis had once again managed to pull the veil over their eyes.  
  
That was assuming that Mulch wasn't just pulling their legs. So, back to the conversation at hand...  
  
Emboldened by Holly's intervention, Mulch managed an insufferable grin. "Oh, he remembers us all right. Came up with some insane idea to make sure his memories were restored to him."  
  
"Do you know how he did it?" Foaly had a glint in his eye that was a perfect mixture of resentment and admiration. So far, there had only been two beings in this world that had cheated his equipment: Opal Koboi, a pixie formally head of Koboi industries, and one Artemis Fowl. Naturally the centaur was curious as to how his mind wipe was counteracted, mostly so he could know how to prevent it from happening again in the future.  
  
Mulch seemed to sense Foaly's interest, so he just grinned wider, adding a hint of badly feigned innocence to his gaze. "You'll have to ask himself yourself, Foaly. Little old me just didn't understand all that technical mumbo jumbo."  
  
Foaly didn't seem to mind. He just stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger a couple of times and muttered something akin to "Perhaps I will."  
  
Root banged his fist on the table, effectively diverting all attention back to him. He looked like he was torn between strangling Foaly and Mulch now, a hard choice for him indeed. "Oh no you don't, Foaly. We are not going to make contact with Fowl, not even to sort out this Mud Man breech. I don't want the People associating with that human ever again; he was too much of an unpredictability." He took a long draw on his cigar and blew out a cloud of noxious green smog. This both settled his nerves and prevented anyone from interrupting him, as the occupants of the room were too busy gagging for fresh air. Settling his smoke snuggly in the corner of his mouth, he said finally, "Besides, he wouldn't help us anyway."  
  
Despite the tone of finality in her commander's voice, Holly argued with him. She didn't know why, exactly (she did, but wasn't willing to admit it). But she felt her point was valid. "Actually, he probably would. For the right price of course."  
  
Root now looked unsure of who to throttle first out of the three of them. "Captain Short. Surly you aren't suggesting that we enlist the help of Fowl on this crisis? The self same Mud Boy who kidnapped you four years ago with intentions to use you to get rich quick and had no reservations about how many people got hurt along the way? The one who nearly got us all discovered with his little G Cube--"  
  
"C Cube."   
  
Root barreled on without acknowledging Foaly's correction. "--when he managed to get it stolen? The same Mud Boy who--"  
  
"Actually, he'd almost be a Mud Man now," said Foaly matter-of-factly. "He's sixteen, you know."  
  
"Foaly, so help me I will sell you to a Mud Man rancher in the United States and claim you are some weird half breed mix of human and common ass if you don't stop interrupting me--"  
  
"No need to get snarky, Julius," said Foaly with a tone of much injury. Being called a human was a severe insult in any text.  
  
Root sighed heavily, stifling the lit end of his cigar much to everyone's relief. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, scrubbing his whole face until the unhealthy color drained and he was his usual ruddy complected self. "I'm sorry, Foaly. I won't sell you. I will cut your budget though, so don't think you're important to me."  
  
"Certainly not."  
  
"And don't call me Julius."  
  
"Of course, Commander."  
  
Mulch took this opportunity to add his own two cents. "You know, as much as you all seem to hate Fowl, you have to admit the kid's pretty smart for a Mud Man. He could probably help figure out who this reporter is, and how he got the information. And Artemis's got plenty of money, and plenty of contact topside." His eyes glinted with a fresh idea, and Holly mentally groaned. "If you wanted to get a message to him, I'd be glad to hop on up there and--"  
  
"In your dreams, convict. The only way you're getting out of here is in the company of half a dozen LEP and a secure transport to Howler's Peak," said Root.   
  
Foaly, however, seemed intrigued. "Commander, if I may..."  
  
"No. You may not."  
  
"Mulch does have a point."  
  
"Why bother asking me if you're just going to say it anyway?" Asked Root sourly. Then he waved the centaur on, knowing that Foaly would continue regardless.  
  
Foaly bowed graciously. This was a sight to see since he was half horse, but somehow he managed it just to mock his commander. "As I was saying, Mulch could be on to something, as hard as that might be to believe. If Artemis does indeed know of us, he could be a great asset to our newest cataclysmic development. From past experiences, I know he would never pass up the opportunity to show off his intellect. And a bit of gold never hurt anyone, either. It would be much simpler than sending up a Recon unit in the long run."  
  
Root actually seemed to be considering it. Holly couldn't believe her ears. She was actually going to see Artemis again, and he would remember her. This knowledge brought a strange feeling to her stomach, one she wasn't familiar with, especially not when thinking of Artemis Fowl. However, she tagged it as being nervous about fraternizing with dangerous Mud Men, and thought no more of it. Still, a sort of electric chill went up her spine when Root sighed again and announced, "All right. Holly, take the next hotshot to the surface and check up on our old friend. Tell him if he's willing to help, we're willing to pay." He waited a beat then growled, "This is assuming that he isn't behind all this in the first place."  
  
Holly shook her head immediately. This she had no doubts about. "I don't think so, Commander. If Fowl has all his memories back, then he won't be the same treacherous little Mud Boy we met four years ago. He changed for the better."  
  
Foaly agreed. "With the mind wipe negated, there's a slim to none chance that he remains a scheming monster."  
  
Root nodded grudgingly. "That sounds feasible. I just hope we aren't walking right into some trap, Fowl's doing or not." Then he was all military again. "Captain Short, you have your orders. Report in when you've reached an agreement with Fowl, and don't stay any long than necessary."  
  
Holly saluted in an attempt to look professional. "Yessir."  
  
"Foaly, you keep monitoring those little inventions of yours. If something comes up, I'm the first to know, understand?"  
  
"You got it, Ju--Commander."  
  
"And you," Root pointed a finger at Mulch, a sinister smile on his face. "You will wait patiently in you temporary cell until a transport can be arranged to take you to a more...permanent home."  
  
Mulch gulped.

Please read and review! I have the next chappie written already, but you'll have to tell me if you like the first one before I post it! Thanks for reading! 

Oh yeah, and if I made any mistakes--spelling, out of cannon, out of character, anything--please feel free to tell me...nicely


	2. Civil Conversation

Hello again. I did get two reviews overnight, so as promised, I will post the next chappie. Thanks very much to Plughole and Very evil daughter of Lord Vol for reviewing!  
  
DISCLAIMER: Since I forgot it last time….I do not own Artemis Fowl the book series. However, I do own Artemis Fowl II ::cuddles Artemis tightly until the little criminal goes blue in the face:: Mine! My little criminal genius! Mine, I say!  
  
Oh, and I probably should warn some of you. This will end up being Artemis/Holly. ::reviews what she has written and nods vigorously:: Yep, definitely Arty and Holls…I hope that doesn't dissuade anyone from reading!  
  
Arc: SS  
  
Chapter Two: Civil Conversation

****

**Fowl Manor, Ireland**  
  
Artemis Fowl was not content. Now, you might think this made him somewhat of a selfish boy. He had many things to be thankful for. He was, according to many of the girls he met (or passed by even), a very attractive sixteen year old. His family was one of the wealthiest in Ireland. He basically had an unlimited supply of money. He was a certified genius and only attended school to appease his parents.   
  
But no amount of money, genius, or goods looks could cure the common cold, of which Artemis was currently afflicted. This was something he would just have to suffer through like normal people, and suffering was not something he was familiar with. Suffering was usually connected with physical pain, something that Butler, his manservant and closest friend, had always handled. Artemis was by no means suitable to bear such a thing as pain; his physique saw to that. He was extremely pale, a feature brought on by an almost total lack of sunlight, and even he had to admit that perhaps he was a bit too skinny. But when you are a child prodigy, there is less time in the day to waste on eating and tanning. Indeed, Artemis was already enrolled in a schooling program that would seem far too advanced for some brain surgeons, plus his regular attendance at Saint Bartleby's School for Young Gentlemen. Then there was the time spent on managing the Fowl family fortune, a task he mostly did behind his father's back. Artemis was sure that his father could no longer handle the family's wealth; two years of imprisonment by the Russian mafiya and a miraculous recovery had changed Artemis I dramatically. His former lust for money and power had vanished, leaving him adamant about keeping the Fowl name clean of all illegal actions. All he wanted was for himself, his wife, and his son to be a happy, normal family.  
  
And while Artemis was charmed and not altogether displeased with his notion, he knew it was a bit far fetched. It was in every Fowl's blood to be ambitious, to strive for gold and yearn for more when gold was received. _Aurum Est Potestas_. Gold Is Power. That had been his father's mantra up until his kidnapping. It had been drilled into Artemis's brain as a young child, and although he did keep his business transactions clean, he could not help but scheme up brilliant plans late at night, plans that would undoubtedly make the Fowls the richest in all of Europe.  
  
Alas, but Artemis would not see through with these plans for several reasons. One, as previous mentioned, he did not want to upset his father, so all his wealth management plans were perfectly legal. Two, it would be hard to start up an illegal scheme when he had schooling every waking hour of the day. Three, he no longer had a body guard since Butler had grown older and could no longer perform the tasks needed to shield a criminal mastermind from harm. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, Artemis had a large aversion to hurting others. He didn't like it. Not after what had happened to Butler three years ago. Artemis had been trying to hit off the last of his adventures with money by selling a dangerous American con man his C Cube and things had not exactly went to plan. Butler had been shot and killed by taking a bullet meant for Artemis. Butler would be six feet deep in soil today if it hadn't been for the fairies.  
  
Ah, yes. The fairies. By all means, Artemis was not supposed to have any memories of the People after Foaly's mind wipe four years ago. But Artemis always had a backup plan, and he was not about to be cheated out of the memories that had changed him into a better person. It had taken him a year to work out the all the kinks and fill in all the gaps, but hadn't given up. Captain Holly Short would be proud.  
  
Holly. Artemis thought about her frequently after his total recall. He thought they could have been friends, given more time. After all, Holly had objected his mind wipe at first, and he still swore to this day that he had seen a glimmer of tears in her eyes before he had gone under. Unfortunately, he would probably never see her again. Artemis reached under his pillow, fingering the gold medallion with a perfectly cylindrical hole that rested there. He would probably never see any fairies again for as long as he lived.  
  
Sighing, he settled back into his bed and drifted off into a miserable sleep.

**Meanwhile, back in the Underground** (::breaks out in the song from the Labyrinth::)

Compared to a shuttle, a hotshot was the preferred way to travel for an LEP. The term hotshot referred to the magma flares that carried titanium pods and their pilots to the surface. This was a much faster way to travel than a shuttle, which were mostly public and highly crowded, though less dangerous.  
  
Still, Holly had always liked the hotshots. She was somewhat of a flyboy, considering that she reveled in the thrill of knowing that so much as one wrong move could turn you into a stain on the side of a chute wall. Fortunately for her, Holly was one of the best pilots around, bested only by perhaps the Commander and her flight instructor, Vinyaya, so the passage up was smooth and uneventful.  
  
Holly emerged into the shuttleport with all limbs intact. Because of the lockdown the port was not ridiculously crowded, so she took advantage of this and grabbed a pair of wings from the wall and headed up. Above ground an early night was falling, the moon full and fat as it rose in the sky. Holly breathed deeply, relishing the smell of fresh wind as it brushed by her face, even if it was somewhat tainted by the Mud Men's odor. The night was so calm and so still that Holly considered taking a short flight around Europe to survey the newest changes that humans had made, but Root's reaction to this pleasure flight, should he find out, steered her course directly to the Fowl Manor.   
  
The Manor looked the same as always: foreboding. Holly still couldn't forget the bad memories associated with her first encounter with this place. Still, at least the occupants had changed for the better. Holly wondered how she should go about contacting Artemis, since she couldn't go into the Manor without being inviting first. She could see lights still shining from windows within the house, so it couldn't be too late for a social call. Perhaps she should just knock, then. Shrugging, Holly descended before the great double doors and rapped hard three times against the polished wood.   
  
A moment passed. Holly anxiously shifted from foot to foot, and then jumped when the doors creaked open. Butler's imposing frame and shaven crown peered out at her...or, truthfully, over her, as Holly was only about three feet tall. She cleared her throat and waved. "Hi, Butler."  
  
Butler glanced down, obviously startled. Holly didn't know she was expecting, but it wasn't this. Butler looked confused and a little shocked about her appearance, and his to her absolute horror, he knelt down to eye level with her and said kindly, "Can I help you, little girl? Are you lost?"  
  
Holly felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. Butler didn't remember her. That meant one of two things. Mulch had lied or Artemis hadn't bothered to inform his manservant about the fairies and the events of the past. She sincerely hoped it was the latter.   
  
There was only one way to find out. Putting on her best pathetic human face and flattening her red hair over her pointed ears, she whimpered, "Yes. Yes, I'm lost, mister. Can you help me?"  
  
Butler smiled. "Of course. Why don't you come in? I'll make some tea."  
  
Holly mentally congratulated herself on her acting skills, then said aloud, "Thank you. Tea sounds good."   
  
She was ushered inside the Manor, which looked exactly as she remembered it, and led to the lounge. Butler gestured to one of the plush armchairs. "Have a seat. I'll be right back with your tea. Then we can talk about how to get you home, all right?"  
  
She nodded tremulously, the picture of a poor lost Mud Maid, but as soon as Butler had disappeared around the corner, Holly disappeared herself, in a manner of speaking. Truthfully she only activated her shield, which meant that she began to vibrate at such high speeds that she vanished from the visible spectrum. It wouldn't do to be caught by the rest of the household during her search for Artemis's room. She thought she had a vague idea, but it never hurt to be cautious.   
  
Besides, if Artemis didn't remember her either, it would be one less mind to wipe if he never saw her in the first place.  
  
Up and up she went, climbing up countless flights of stairs until she was convinced that no Mud Man would ever have need of so many staircases. Finally she reached a familiar looking corridor with a likely looking door on the very end. Holly pushed it open slowly, but there was no need. The door was so well oiled that it didn't so much as whisper at her touch.   
  
The room was dark and utterly silent. Holly flipped on the infrared lights inside her LEP helmet, distantly wondering why Butler had not commented on her strange apparel, and scanned her surroundings. She was in a bedroom and there was indeed someone sleeping on the kind sized bed. But was it Artemis?  
  
Outside, the clouds shifted overhead and a beam of lunar light was allowed to spill through the window. Holly switched off the infrared and crept closer to the bed. She gasped. It was Artemis all right. His already fair skin glowed in the moonlight, causing his familiar, though longer and messier, raven locks of hair to stand out livid from his face. From the way the white sheets fell around his body, Holly saw that he was thinner than she remembered, and slightly taller, but then again, most if not all Mud Men were taller than her. In sleep, he looked almost angelic, and Holly found herself drawn to him, unwittingly taking a few steps closer. Her shield fell away without her notice or care, and she gingerly pulled herself up onto the bed by his side. The urge to touch him was unbearable, just to make sure that he was real and not some moonlit illusion.   
  
Her fingertips were inches away from his cheek when his eyes fluttered open, a startling shade of blue even in the twilight. He gasped and sat hurriedly upright while she yelped and fell backward off the bed to land in an undignified heap on the floor. Silently bemoaning her foolishness, Holly both cringed and felt her heart soar when the light flickered on and his surprised voice said one word.   
  
"Holly?"  
  
In his restless sleep, Artemis felt someone climb up onto his bed. It was a frightening feeling, for while he knew someone was watching him, he was still technically asleep and therefore could do nothing about it. He felt someone reaching out to him, and, in a panic, he forced his eyes to open.  
  
The face leaning over him was blurry with sleep, appearing only to be a dark shape looming over him. Artemis jerked up into a sitting position, and the figure fell backward with a startled yelp. That calmed him a bit. He highly doubted an assassin sent to kill him would be so easily startled to fall off the bed. Curious now, Artemis flicked on the light switch. With the new light, he saw that the intruder had red hair and pointed ears, the only things he needed to reach a conclusion.  
  
"Holly?"  
  
Captain Holly Short wrestled herself into a sitting position and started up at him with large hazel eyes. "You...you do remember me..."  
  
Artemis grimaced. Now came the angry tirade on his scheming ways. "Now, Captain Short," he began, but trailed off at the look of absolute relief in Holly's eyes. "Holly? What is it?"  
  
"I'm just...glad you remember me," she said, standing up.  
  
Artemis was thunderstruck. "You are?"  
  
"Yes, of course I...eh...I mean..." Obviously flustered, she switched topics. "Hey, what's wrong with your voice?"  
  
Now that was a strange question if he ever heard one. "What do you mean?"  
  
"It's deeper…and nasally."  
  
Had the light been off, Holly might have not noticed the blush spreading across Artemis's face. However, the light was on, and the red hue warming his cheeks could not have been more obvious. Artemis decided to ignore both her smirk and her first observation. "I have somehow been infected with a cold, my dear Captain. Surely you know what that will do to a voice? Or do fairies never fall ill?"   
  
"It's a rarity," Holly admitted. "There aren't many viruses that can survive the temperature and heat of Haven. Besides, elves have a very good immune system."  
  
Artemis smiled. Holly narrowed her eyes. "What?"  
  
"Nothing, really. Just that we actually had a civil conversation in which you explained to me all about fairy anatomy," he said bemusedly, folding his legs beneath him. He might as well get comfortable; he had a feeling this was going to be a long talk.  
  
Holly did not disappoint him. "I hardly call a few sentences a conversation. But while we're talking, I have a few questions to ask you."  
  
"Let me guess. You want me to tell you how I managed to retain all my memories of the People." Holly nodded firmly. "Well, it was largely because of you, Holly. If I hadn't had your assistance, I most likely would not be sitting here, having this civil conversation with you."   
  
"Me? What did I do?"   
  
Artemis pulled the gold medallion out from under his pillow and held out for Holly to inspect. "Before the mind wipe was to commence, I had Butler compile all of my files that pertained to the People, including my diary, onto a laser minidisk and hide it on this gold coin, the very same one you gave me."   
  
In spite of herself, Holly was impressed. Trust Artemis to come up with something so elaborate. Still, there was something that didn't fit. "But you gave that coin to Mulch. How did you get it back?"  
  
"I gave it to Mulch, true enough," said Artemis, "but I also gave him something else. A good-bye note if you will. In it I instructed him that once cleared of his charges, he should bring the medallion to me."  
  
"How did Mulch get out of all those charges?" Holly asked, though she suspected she already knew.  
  
Artemis just smiled again. "Trade secret, Captain."  
  
"Figures," she muttered. "All right, so Mulch shows up on your doorstep after being cleared. He gives you the medallion and you, being you, discover the minidisk and get back all your memories. That's crazy. Foaly's going to love it." A few more questions bubbled inside her head. "So you've known about us for four years now? And you've never attempted to contact us or steal our money?"  
  
Artemis frowned. "I'm injured, Captain Short. You know very well that I am not the monster I once was. And for your information, no, I have not known about you for four years. It took a year for Mulch's case to right itself, and another year for me to both work out the medallion and Mulch's payment for his help."  
  
"Let me guess," said Holly wryly. "You helped him get a little spending money?"  
  
"Yes, but only so that he could make an honest living," he said defensively.  
  
Holly chuckled. "Well, you'll be happy to know that he blew his chances and his money and is now in custody for breaking and entering."  
  
That wasn't altogether surprising. Artemis knew his hairy friend would eventually end up in trouble again, but he had figured the dwarf would get at least a decade of legal living in before his scandalous ways once again took hold. He would have commented about Mulch's penchant for getting arrested, but a tickling sensation caught in his throat and he found himself coughing harshly, breaking the relative silence in the room.  
  
Holly laid a hand on his ankle, worry controlling her words. "Are you all right?"   
  
After a few deep breaths, Artemis regained his composure and stared incredulously at the hand on his leg. Holly never willingly touched him, unless it was to inflict some for of physical violence on him. It was quite a shock to him to hear the concern in her voice, so much of one that he found himself to reply gently in turn. "It's just a symptom of this blasted cold, Holly. Nothing to fret about."  
  
But at the sound of his voice, she yanked her hand back. "I wasn't fretting."  
  
That was more like it. "Oh, no?"  
  
Holly opened her mouth to say something, then visibly shook herself. "Look, Fowl, I don't have time for this. I've wasted enough here already. I'm on a mission, one of vital importance to the survival of Haven."  
  
Artemis fell easily back into the roll of a cool, aloof genius. "I take that to mean that the People are once again in need of my assistance?"   
  
"Don't get a big head, Mud Boy," growled Holly, easily falling back into the roll of a gung ho cop. "We just need a contact on the surface. You see, one of your kind has found out about us. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"  
  
To his credit, he looked mildly shocked. "No, I haven't. What happened?"  
  
"About twenty four hours ago, a newscaster on a local television broadcast reported on an underground society of inhuman beings. Most people weren't too taken by the story, but a few have started up a contact group. Your kind can't find out about us, Artemis. The fact that we can't get rid of you is bad enough, but every Mud Man on the planet knowing about Haven? It would be war."  
  
Artemis nodded. He didn't like the idea of every human knowing about the People, either. It would go against his policy of not hurting others. "What you really need to know is who gave this reporter the story, or, if the reporter is a self informant, how he found out."  
  
"Exactly," said Holly. "So will you help us? There's gold in it for you, if you agree."  
  
"How much gold?" He couldn't get in trouble for this. He wasn't doing anything illegal. In fact, he was helping people. The fact that he would be heartily compensated was just icing on the cake.  
  
Holly shook her head. That was typical Artemis behavior. "We'll work that out if you manage to prevent the doom of Haven. Agreed?"  
  
He wouldn't be hurting people. He'd be helping. It was another adventure, another quest for excitement. And he'd get to see Holly. "Agreed," said Artemis, holding out his hand and shaking her smaller one.   
  
Looking relieved, Holly said, "I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with more information. You could get to work researching this reporter. Foaly recently discovered the name: Sean Flannigan. Try to find out anything on his former stories. He may be making this whole thing up without realizing how close to the truth he is."  
  
"I'd be glad to help."  
  
Holly headed for the window, but hesitated. Turning back to him, she locked eyes with him again. "Artemis, why haven't you restored Butler's memories to him? And Juliet's?"  
  
Artemis dropped his gaze to his lap. "I don't know. He seemed happier not knowing. I didn't want to interfere with that."  
  
_And you still feel guilty from the time Butler almost died_, Holly thought to herself, feeling suddenly compassionate towards the pale Mud Boy before her. Her range of emotions towards Artemis Fowl was becoming broader and broader every day. In an attempt to cover her lapse in thought, Holly finished lamely, "You should tell him. Those memories are as much a part of his as they are a part of you."  
  
Silence fell as Artemis appeared to be thinking. Then he said, "Goodnight, Holly. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow."  
  
Holly knew a dismissal when she heard it. Nodding, she revved up her wings and floated out the window. "Goodnight, Artemis."

And, CUT! Thanks for reading chapter two! If you loved it, read and review! (Hmm…that rhymed…sweat drop) I've got the third ready and waiting for yall! 


	3. It Can Only Get Worse Before It Gets Bet...

Hello all. Welcome back!

I hope you are enjoying the frequent updates, because once the fourth chapter gets out well…they won't happen as much ::sweat drop:: Inspiration must strike before a suitable chapter is written, and sometimes inspiration is more random than this story.   
  
First off, some thanks to the people who reviewed. No, not some thanks. A lot of thanks! Hugs to all! You all make this fun for me! ::cheesy smile::  
  
Secondly, some apologies. I've had a few people tell me--and very politely mind you--that Holly and Arty are OOC. ::bows deeply:: I am very sorry for that. I find that I need at least a few good chapters to really get into a character's personality and mind. How very unprofessional of me, I know. I will work harder to make them more believable. In my defense, though, I think Artemis would indeed be nicer than he was in the first book. After all, he does have all his memories back, memories that made him a good person. And in Eternity Code, I think his spark of decency had grown quite a bit, don't you? I will admit that Holly is OOC, but she is dealing with feelings and emotions she hasn't dealt with before. Cut the girl some slack!   
  
Lastly, a few warnings. For those of you who thought Holly's portrayal in the last couple of chapters was unbelievable, then you aren't going to like her much now. Trust me, you'll see what I mean. The same goes for Artemis too, I imagine. Just a fair warning. I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from reading (and reviewing, even if you don't like it!). I need feedback to tell me where to go with it. I aim to please you all!   
  
Oh yes, and there is a massive amount of bishie torturing in this chapter. ::shifty eyes:: Um, nothing too bad…oh all right! I'm sorry, I couldn't help it! Artemis is just too cute! ::millions of Arty fan girls converge on her:: Don't kill me!! EEP!  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing…except maybe the expressions "What in the name of the Book?" and "He can suck air from a dwarf's behind." But I don't own Eoin Colfer's amazing mind…sadly.  
  
Arc: SS  
  
Chapter Three: It can only get worse before it gets better…  
  
As it turned out, Holly did not return to Fowl Manor the following day, or the next. In fact, it took her three days just to clear her desk of paperwork. Being a LEP, she had more duties to attend to underground than she cared to think about, especially during a time of crisis. Patrols, guard duty, transportation, shift changes, all sorts of tedious, time consuming jobs. And there wasn't anything Root could do to help her, since they weren't technically supposed to be seeking human help in the first place. Finally, four days after her initial meeting with Artemis, Holly was free to go. She had the Commander's permission to bring Artemis down into Haven again for further talks, since no fairy liked being above ground during daylight hours for too long. It was slow going this time, though, since there were no hotshots available to ride. She was forced to ride a commercial shuttle to the surface, but because of the lockdown it was not overcrowded with tourists.  
  
As a matter of fact, the timing worked out perfectly. With the shuttle as slow going as it was, Holly was able to emerge from the port just as the sun sank below the western horizon. It was now dark enough that most humans wouldn't notice her as she flew by, so Holly opted not to shield. Root would have her badge if he found out, but she didn't have that far to fly. Fowl Manor was within twenty clicks from her emergence point, and with her newest set of wings it took her less than thirty minutes to reach her destination. She didn't think it would be wise to enter through the front door again, since Butler was doubtless still trying to figure out what happened to the poor lost girl, so she headed for Artemis's window.  
  
The drapes were pulled shut tightly. Holly thought this was a bit odd, seeing as how twilight had already descended and the need for shade had diminished. She cautiously swung the window inwards, wondering if she should call out. It had been days since she'd been here last; Artemis was probably not expecting her. Worse yet, she could not go in. If she had returned the day she'd promised she would have technically had permission to enter, since he'd told her he was looking forward to seeing her. That was stretching it, though, and there was no way the invitation would extend for today. Feeling slightly apprehensive about the complete silence within the room, Holly called out softly, "Hello?"  
  
"Captain Short. Please come in."  
  
That was not Artemis's voice. It was Butler's.  
  
Now invited, Holly brushed past the curtains and dropped inside. Butler's seven foot tall figure blocked her path, obscuring her sight of the rest of the room. "Butler, what--"  
  
"A little quieter, Holly," hushed the manservant in a whisper. "Artemis has just fallen asleep."  
  
He stepped aside, allowing her to see Artemis's figure lying motionless on the bed. Part of Holly, the old part, wanted to demand why she should extend such a courtesy to a human, but that part of her was so small now she barely took notice. Instead she became worried. Pulling off her LEP helmet and setting it aside, she took a step closer to the bed. In the dim light, she could just make out Artemis's white face, his dark brows drawn together into a look of pain. "What's wrong with him?"  
  
Butler looked years older, his eyes empty and dull. "He has pneumonia. The doctor's say his cold escalated to something worse because of his tendency to wear himself thin."  
  
Holly felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach. "Will he be all right?"  
  
Butler sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. "Yes, the doctors say that all he needs is rest." The manservant paused, searching for words. "And that's why I have to ask you to leave."  
  
"What do you mean?" demanded Holly, shell shocked. "Leave? How do you even know who I am, anyway?"  
  
"Artemis told me. Said he had a sudden change of heart." He sank heavily into a nearby armchair. "Listen, Holly. It's nothing personal, telling you to leave. But Artemis told me all about his plans to help you discover the nature of this reporter leaking information on the People and I don't think it would be a good idea for him to get involved right now. He needs time to rest or he'll only get worse. He's made it his mission to help you, regardless of his health. If you're here, it will only distract him. Do you understand?"  
  
Holly floundered for words. "Of course I understand. I mean, I see your point. But Butler, we need his help. He's the only one we can trust to help us sort out this mess."  
  
Butler blinked. "You trust him?"  
  
Holly blinked. She did? She trusted Artemis? It surprised her to acknowledge the truth. "Yes. Yes, I trust him."  
  
"Do you trust me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then believe me when I tell you that if you get him involved in this, it could kill him."  
  
Holly swallowed hard. Words forming in her mouth suddenly died, leaving her gaping like a fish out of water.  
  
Luckily for her, the telephone rang at that moment. Butler rose to his feet. "I need to get that. Try not to wake him."   
  
When he headed for the hallway, Holly followed him. She wasn't sure why, but she felt it had something to do with how she didn't want to be alone with a near comatose Artemis. It was depressing and more than a little spooky, seeing him so quiet and still. So she hid quietly in the shadows while Butler picked up the receiver.  
  
"Fowl residence. Butler speaking."  
  
There was a lengthy pause in which every word the person on the other end spoke caused Butler's face to pale a shade. Holly tried to listen closer, but the speaker could not be understood from so far away.  
  
But she could hear Butler, even if he made little sense. "Is she all right?"  
  
Another pause. "You need me to come down there?" Pause. "I can't leave now. I have business to take of care of here…" A longer stretch of silence. Butler sighed, long and heavy. "Yes, yes I understand. I'll be there shortly. Yes, thank you for calling. Good-bye." He hung up the phone and rested his forehead against the wall.  
  
Holly carefully approached him. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Butler peeled himself away from the wall, rubbing the bridge of his nose to ease away a headache. "Juliet's been in an accident on assignment for a friend of mine. He says that she's asking for me. I need to go down there..."  
  
"What about Artemis?"  
  
Butler looked ready to cry. "I know, I know, but there's no way around it. Juliet's my sister and right now she needs me." The man took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. Then he ventured to speak. "Holly, I hate to ask you this, but I don't see any other way. I'll be gone for a few days, a week at most. Will you watch Artemis while I'm away?"  
  
Holly opened her mouth to reply, then shut it. Then opened it. Then shut it. What could she say? She wanted to agree; she was all too glad to help a friend in need. But what would Root say? She wasn't supposed to take any longer than necessary. But how could she refuse? That would make her as bas a human. "Sure, Butler. I'll stay."  
  
"Thanks, Holly," he said with obvious relief. "I can trust you to make sure that he gets better, can't I?" His eyes were so serious; it was clear to Holly that Butler couldn't love and care for Artemis more than if the boy had been his own son.  
  
Faced with this, she just nodded weakly. "You can count on me."  
  
"Great. I need to get going immediately. These things can take quite a while sometimes." He started down the hallway, talking over his shoulder, "The Fowls are on holiday so you won't have to worry about being seen. Make sure Artemis takes his medication twice a day; the container is on the kitchen counter. He's due for his second pill right about now. I'll leave a phone number where you can reach me in an emergency. I know that technically I just met you a few days ago but...I trust you, Holly."  
  
"No worries," said Holly as he vanished around the corner. Then she allowed herself to slump against the wall. She couldn't wait to tell Root about her newest assignment. No worries, all right.  
  
"Butler?"  
  
Holly jumped at the sound of Artemis's voice. She hurried back into his room and pulled herself into a chair beside the youth's bed. He was awake, staring wide eyed at the ceiling. "Do you need something?" she asked softly.  
  
"Holly? Where's Butler?"   
  
"He had some business to attend to. Juliet was in accident."  
  
He struggled to sit upright. "Is she all right?"  
  
Holly chewed her lower lip. "Well, he didn't say. But if I know Juliet, she'll be up and kicking within a week no matter what happened to her. Don't worry, Butler said he should be back within the week, so it couldn't have been anything too serious."  
  
Artemis nodded. "Good. Listen, Holly, I'm glad you're here. I did some research on the reporter, Flannigan. There wasn't much, but there are some things that you'll probably want to see. I can bring them up in the study and we can review them..."  
  
Holly remembered Butler's warning. _If you get him involved in this, it could kill him_. Gently she grabbed Artemis's shoulders and forced him to lie down. "Not now, Artemis. You should rest a bit first."  
  
He struggled weakly. "I'm perfectly all right. Butler just worries too much, you know. He compensates for my father when he is away by being extremely overprotective."  
  
Holly did not relent. "Just humor me, Mud Boy. Butler would never forgive me if he came home to find you dead." _Perish the thought..._  
  
Artemis reluctantly settled back into his covers, though he did manage to fix her with a reproachful stare. "Please, Holly. A little cold never killed anyone."  
  
"Neither did a little rest," she countered. "Now go to sleep."  
  
It was only after he did so that Holly wondered where, exactly, she was going to sleep. Certainly there was enough room on Artemis's bed--there was actually room enough for several humans and at least a dozen fairies--but she'd as soon volunteer for a mediating position between goblins and dwarves before sleeping there. So she settled on the chair she was sitting in.  
  
She thoroughly regretted her choice the next morning when every limb and muscle violently protested movement. Grimacing, she managed to stretch out, cracking quite possibly every joint in her body. She glanced at the bed to make sure she hadn't woken Artemis, then did a double take. Artemis was gone.  
  
Holly jumped to her feet, stumbling on feet afflicted with pins and needles in her haste to reach the door. Leave it to Artemis to make sure that whatever job she happen to partake in would not be easy. She found him soon enough though, near the main staircase, though there were two very big differences in the youth since last night. One being that he looked, if possible, paler than before. The other difference caused Holly's heart to skip a few beats. He wasn't wearing a shirt. Why this would make her so uncomfortable was a mystery, and a horrifying one at that. It wasn't as if she had never seen a male shirtless before; many LEP officers chose to work shirtless during hot spells, and she'd seen countless Mud Men in similar states of undress.  
  
Perhaps it was the way that Artemis's skin had a lunar like shine to it, or how he was so perfectly trim and lithe, or the alluring narrowness of his hips...  
  
Holly physically slapped herself. A sight to see, indeed, but she felt it necessary. There was no way she could be thinking such things. No way. She must have not gotten much sleep. Or maybe Artemis's sickness was afflicting her with delirium. How could she think he was attractive? The boy was skeletally thin and an unhealthy shade of white, for goodness sake. Besides, he wasn't even a fairy! Holly gave herself one last good shake to dislodge any lingering thoughts and took a deep breath. "Artemis, what are you doing up?"  
  
He turned toward her and blinked several times, as if trying to clarify her image. "I was...thirsty. Yes, thirsty."   
  
The way he said it make it seem like he wasn't quite sure himself. His eyes were abnormally bright and there were spots of scarlet color high on his cheekbones. Holly swallowed a lump in her throat, forcing down her alarm. "I think you should go back to bed, Artemis."  
  
"Yes, of course. But Holly? Would you please stop spinning? It's making me dizzy."  
  
"What? Spinning? I'm not spinning...oh no..." Holly trailed off, seeing him sway unsteadily on his feet. She jumped forward just as Artemis crashed onto his knees and managed to grab him before his face could become better acquainted with the carpet. With his upper body pressed against her own, she could feel all too well the heat radiating from his skin. This was definitely not what she signed up for.

"Artemis," she gasped, trying to keep them both upright, "Artemis, I can't carry you back to your room. You're going to have to stand. Can you do that?"  
  
He mumbled something unintelligible. Unintelligible because his face was nestled against her neck. Much to her dismay, Holly blushed to the roots of her hair, but Artemis was in no condition to notice. With much coaxing, she managed to get him standing again, though the trip back to the bedroom was dangerously wobbly.

When he was once again lying safely on the bed, Holly grabbed the thermometer from the night stand and stuck it under his tongue. He mumbled his protests, but Holly was resolute. Sufficient time passed and she removed the thermometer and studied it carefully. The reading seemed abnormally high to her, but fairies had a lower body temperature than humans to begin with. She did know that humans had a normal temperature of thirty-six point nine degrees Celsius. The thermometer, however, read thirty-nine point four. Fatal for a fairy, borderline dangerous for a Mud Boy. Assuredly not healthy. "Stay here," she said firmly. "I'll be right back."  
  
There was a shallow bowl near Artemis's bed containing a small amount of tepid water. Holly took this up and went in search of the nearest bathroom. It wasn't a particularly challenging quest since the Fowl manor had a bathroom every five feet. The elf filled the bowl with fresh, cool water from the sink and borrowed a clean cloth from the towel rack.   
  
She returned to her charge's bedside, thankful to see that Artemis had heeded her command to stay put, and dipped the cloth in the water. She dabbed lightly at the youth's forehead, earning a shudder and a groan from him. "Shhh," she rebuked him, though without animosity. "I've got to get your fever down somehow, haven't I?"  
  
No reply this time. Holly continued to sponge his forehead, neck and chest until he had succumbed to his exhaustion. While he slept, Holly wondered what it was like to be ill. She herself had been the image of perfect health for almost all of her life, having had a run in with trolic fever as an infant. But she could scarcely remember that. Obviously the whole ordeal was not pleasant, judging from Artemis's condition. But then again, Artemis wasn't the toughest Mud Boy around. Holly had a private chuckle at all the times she had taken him by surprise and socked him right between the eyes. His expression (and the bruises) had been priceless.  
  
A soft noise tickled her ears. It was a voice, tinny and warbled, as if coming from far away. Holly listened hard, but could not discern where the sound was coming from. She was beginning to think she had begun hearing voices when she saw her LEP helmet lying on the floor beside the chair. The intercom light was blinking. Someone was trying to get a hold of her. Holly grimaced. She had a pretty good idea who that someone was.  
  
Scooping up the helmet and placing it delicately around her head, Holly winced as Commander Root's shouting assaulted her hearing.  
  
"Captain Short! Do you read me? I know you're listening, so talk to me or I'll have your stripes!"  
  
"No need to shout, Commander. I'm here," said Holly.  
  
It was wishful thinking to assume that Root would settle on a dull a roar now that he had his officer's attention. "Short!" he bellowed, "What in the name of the Book are you doing? Didn't I tell you to return with Fowl within the hour? Or have your listening mechanisms malfunctioned?"  
  
Holly was tempted, at least for a fraction of a second, to tell her commander that her ears were working just fine up until the point when she engaged in conversation with him. Instead she said, "The situation has changed a bit, sir."  
  
A screen flickered to life through the visor. Root's purple mug glared murderously at her. "A bit? What, pray tell, classifies as a bit?"   
  
Holly proceeded to tell him about her newest mission.  
  
She thought the screen was going to combust. "I didn't send you up there to play nurse to a Mud Boy, Captain! It's not your responsibility to take care of that pale little whelp. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that the People aren't wiped off the face the planet. The lockdown's been placed on temporary reprieve since no one can find out any more about this Flannigan man. Every fairy in Haven is taking the first shuttle up to the surface as if it's their last chance to see the moon, which in all actuality it probably is! We need all the officers we can get. Now get down here, pronto!"  
  
Holly glanced at Artemis. The boy hadn't moved a muscle. "Negative, Commander. Fowl is in no condition to travel."  
  
"That's not my concern, Holly. We'll just have to do without his help until his primitive immune system can right itself. Return to Haven. That's an order."  
  
At any other time, in any other situation, Holly would have hung up her hat. Folded her hand. She had been in LEP long enough to recognize what that tone of voice meant. But this was something she couldn't wave off. She had a duty here. When Captain Holly Short promised something, she would fulfill her end. So she took a deep breath and said, "I can't just leave him here, sir. He's helpless. Butler's away on business, and his parents are on holiday. I promised to watch him, at least until someone returns."  
  
Root uttered a few choice words, all of which cannot be printed here without severe censorship.   
  
"It's only for a few days," Holly added, seeing a break in his resolve. "A week, at most."  
  
"Why do you do this to me, Holly?" The Root asked in a long suffering tone. With an act of supreme will, he nodded. "All right, have it your way. But a week only. I can't spare one of my best officers for longer than that. Do you read me, Short? One week."  
  
"Thank you, sir," said Holly, both for his permission and the compliment. "One week it is."  
  
But by then Root had already cut the link, and the screen winked out. This left Holly in a room with next to no sound, save for the slow, pronounced breathing of Artemis. This sort of an environment was a bit too eerie for the LEP officer to stand, so she fled to the kitchen for something to eat.   
  
This actually proved most to be most difficult. As was true for most wealthy families in Europe, the Fowls had quite a large stock of caviar, escargot, and other things Holly could barely pronounce, let alone eat. But nothing simple. No protein bars or anything of the like that she would normally eat on assignment. She finally settled on a bowl of cereal, if one could call the lumps of taste-lacking protein and fiber flakes cereal. She was hungry enough to choke down the stuff, though, and it did abate her hunger if nothing else.   
  
It was when she was cleaning out her bowl when she noticed the plastic cylinder sitting on the counter. There were about a dozen light blue capsules in the container and a half empty glass of water next to it. Artemis's medicine. Holly remembered Butler's instructions and fished out one of the pills, holding it gingerly between thumb and forefinger. It amazed her how behind Mud Men really were, hoping to sure diseases with powder filled capsules. In Haven, when a fairy became sick, the only things required to be cured were a small injection and a lollipop from the medical warlock. Typical humans, making things harder than they had to be.  
  
Holly refilled the glass with fresh water and palmed the pill, gingerly though, because she was afraid it might rupture. Upon returning to Artemis's room, she found her charge to be asleep still, something she regretted. Now she was going to have to wake him up. Holly set the medicine down and climbed up on her chair to better survey her patient. She blanched. From her higher vantage point, she could see that the youth's customary white pallor had been replaced by an ashen gray hue and a fine sheen of sweat had beaded across his brow. Her minimal medical training took note of his labored breathing and the congested rattle whenever he inhaled. Though by no means certified in medicine, Holly knew all these symptoms spelled trouble for Artemis. She could just hope that Mud Men prescriptions could remedy that trouble.  
  
Very gently, Holly shook Artemis by the shoulder. "Artemis. Artemis, wake up." He came around little by little, groggily focusing his sight in Holly's general area. Jolting coughs overtook his efforts to speak, so Holly offered him the pill in explanation. "It's time for your medicine."  
  
It became apparent when no motion was made that Artemis lacked the strength to reach up and take the offered item, something that Holly found profoundly alarming. She had only been gone a few minutes and his condition had worsened this much? Seeing no other option, she carefully pulled herself up onto the bed. It took some maneuvering, but she managed to seat herself behind Artemis, propping his head up on her shoulder. And though she was feeling more awkward than she had ever felt before in her life, she placed the pill in Artemis's open mouth and held the water glass to his lips.  
  
To her annoyance, Artemis turned away, sealing his mouth into a tight white line. Holly narrowed her eyes, feeling exasperation creeping up on her. "Come on, Fowl. Just swallow the pill. I don't like this any more than you do, so don't make me force you."  
  
His lips parted again, allowing Holly to pour a little water into his mouth. "Now swallow," she said firmly, and he did. Satisfied, she started to shift her way out from under him, but stopped. Artemis had grabbed her wrist weakly, slender fingers catching and holding her own in a sweat slicked grip. Holly was so startled she could barely find her voice to ask, "What?"  
  
"Please stay with me," he rasped, eyelids fluttering shut again, though his hold on her hand did not slacken.  
  
Holly melted. Not literally, of course, but any nasty feelings she had been harboring for Artemis Fowl dissipated faster than Mulch's gold reserves. Her old flight commander had always told her that she possessed an extraordinarily soft heart for a police officer, and when she had first been accepted into LEP, Root constantly harped on her silly female emotions. She supposed they were both right, but when one hears Artemis Fowl ask for company and use the word please in the same sentence, one does not retain a cool and aloof exterior. Or at least Holly didn't. Especially when no one was around to see her. "I'm not going anywhere, Artemis," she promised quietly, though she did reposition him so that his head rested in her lap instead of on her chest. There was only so much embarrassment one LEP officer could take in one night.

================================================================

The next few days passed without incident for Holly. Artemis grew steadily stronger, progressing far enough to stand for short periods. However, at night his sickness always grew worse, leaving him bed ridden once more. It was during these times that he insisted on lying in Holly's lap, something which the LEP officer found more than a little mortifying, but not altogether unpleasant.  
  
It was Holly's third night with Artemis and still no sign of Butler. On the bright side though, Artemis retained lucid thought, making conversation a possibility. This was a nice change for Holly, who had spent plenty of days and nights in silence. They were lying together on the bed, Artemis resting comfortably in Holly's lap, when he asked softly, "I've been wondering. Why don't you use your magic to heal me?"  
  
Holly was shaken out of a light doze. "Hmm? Do what?"  
  
"Use your magic. Cure my pneumonia."  
  
"Because," Holly said around an immense yawn, "because fairy magic generally isn't used to cure illness."  
  
"Why ever not?"  
  
"Well, if I used magic to cure the slightest cough or runny nose, then I would never build up any immunity," explained Holly. "And then when a particularly bad sickness struck me, I would be defenseless. You see?"  
  
Artemis nodded slowly. "Mmmm. That's very true. So you're saying that if you used magic to cure my pneumonia, there would be a good chance I could be more susceptible to the virus in the future."  
  
"Exactly," said Holly. Then, as an afterthought, she added, "Sorry."  
  
He waved her off. "Think nothing of it. In any case, I'm getting better by natural means, aren't I?"  
  
"If you define swallowing white powder every morning and night as natural means," said Holly with a smirk, "then yes, I'd say you are indeed. Good thing to, because I've had about as much of you as I can take."  
  
Artemis coughed harshly, which probably meant he had tried to laugh. "Commander Root must be furious with you, eh Holly?"  
  
Holly sniffed. "Probably. But he can suck air from a dwarf's behind for all I care. I'm staying here."  
  
"Now that makes me wonder," said Artemis with no lack of amusement in his voice. "Would you say something so atrocious if you truly felt that you could no longer tolerate my presence?"  
  
Holly felt her face warm and she spluttered a few incoherent denials. Artemis chuckled, which turned immediately into a fit of coughing so severe Holly had to steady him to make sure he didn't fall off the bed. When he could breath again and when she could form complete sentences, Holly said flatly, "Go to sleep, Mud Boy. The way you talk makes my brain hurt."  
  
"You mean the fact that I am speaking English or that my vocabulary is too advanced for your limited fairy comprehension?" Artemis asked innocently.  
  
"No, I mean I can't take any more of your nonsensical blabbering," retorted Holly, though a smile graced her face as she said it.  
  
They both realized at roughly the same time that they were actually teasing each other without hostility, and cleared their throats simultaneously. Artemis found the opposite wall to be absolutely captivating, and Holly stared resolutely at the door.   
  
Finally Artemis muttered something along the lines of a good night, which Holly returned, and discussion declined rapidly after that.

================================================================

When Holly next awoke, it was her first impression that she had fallen asleep with her infantile cousin Hazel in her lap, what with all the squirming and wriggling. Then she opened her eyes, squinting against the pale morning sunlight filtering in through the blinds. That alone would have told her that she was no where near her cousin, but in the same glance she also so the reason that she was awakened.

Artemis was thrashing wildly in his sleep, crying out inaudible words and fighting invisible enemies. Holly knew a nightmare when she saw one; working in law enforcement left many of her coworkers with less than pleasant memories. She also knew, by the same reasoning, that it was a bad idea to startle someone out of a nightmare; it was always better to ease a person back into reality gradually.   
  
Holly grasped Artemis's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It's all right. I'm here," she said soothingly.  
  
But to her surprise, the maternal approach did not lessen the severity of Artemis's struggles. The youth shuddered and gasped, his face a mask of suffering. Bits and pieces of words spewed from his mouth through ragged breaths. "No...no. Don't hurt her. Stop...please...I'll do anything...No, Holly..."  
  
A jolt of surprise tingled through Holly's spine, hearing Artemis cry out her name. What could he be dreaming about? She brushed a damp lock of hair out of his face, still holding tightly to his hand. "Artemis, it's all right. I'm here."  
  
Artemis let out a dry sob, his back arching from the bed. "Holly, don't go! Don't...don't leave me..."  
  
Holly was at a loss. "Artemis, it's me, Holly," she said, desperate to break the nightmare's hold on the boy. "I'm here, I haven't left you."  
  
"Holly," he groaned, voice hoarse from screaming. "Holly! NO!"   
  
The cry wrenched from his throat, Artemis finally jerked awake. Holly saw his eyes dilate rapidly, even in the sunlight, the blue orbs wide but unseeing. With every wheezing breath he took his chest heaved, quickly replacing what little air he was receiving with the next halting inhale. Holly knew the symptoms of shock. She'd been on assignment once, helping the medical warlocks after an earthquake hit Haven a few years back. A young elf had been badly injured but conscious, suffering from trauma. The medics couldn't risk using a sedative on a fairy so young, so they'd been forced to calm him the manual way. It was an old LEP trick. Holly had heard of it before. She only hoped she could perform the procedure as well as a medic.  
  
Since she was already sitting behind Artemis, all she had to do was pull him up a bit so that his back rested against her front. She placed a hand on Artemis's chest, feeling his racing heartbeat drum against her skin, and forced herself to take in large, slow breaths. "Artemis," she said between inhales, "it's all right. Calm down. I need you to breath with me. Feel the rhythm. In and out. Breath with me." Artemis dissolved into a fit of coughing, his whole frame shaking. Holly squeezed his hand a little tighter and pulled him closer to her. "In and out. In and out. You're all right. Just breathe. With me, now. You can do it. In and out."  
  
It took a few heart-stopping moments for the boy to find the rhythm, but at last he began to breathe in tandem with Holly. Under her palm she could feel his pulse settle back into a normal cadence of beats, his breath becoming steadier and stronger. But Holly didn't dare release him just yet. Feeling extremely and inexplicably protective of him, she wrapped her free arm, the one not attached to the hand holding Artemis's, around him in a comforting embrace. "I'm here," she breathed into his ear. "I'm here and I'm not leaving."  
  
"H-Holly..."  
  
Her arm tightened. "I'm not leaving you, Artemis Fowl. I won't."

================================================================

Things went downhill for nurse Holly after that frightening wake-up call. It seemed the respite that had been granted to Artemis was only temporary, leaving him no better, worse even, then the day she had arrived. It was so bad that Holly couldn't leave Artemis's side for more than ten minutes or he would relapse into shock. The boy didn't regain full consciousness, even at Holly's gentle prompting, though he was prone to fall into fits of wild struggling and thrashing. Worse yet, the fever that Holly had managed to break was back at thirty nine and still climbing.  
  
It was just after eight o'clock that evening, about the time she had finally wrestled the second pill down his throat, when Holly questioned all of her medicinal knowledge and finally asked herself aloud to an otherwise silent room, "Is this normal?" Indeed, it didn't seem like any simple case of pneumonia. Granted, she was by no means an expert on Mud Men sickness, but this could not be right. Even Artemis should be recovering by now, for heaven's sake. Holly sighed, resting her head on the edge of the bed. Foaly would know. Foaly knew everything, even the everything that pertained to humans.  
  
Wait a nanosecond... "Foaly!" Holly exclaimed loudly, then, softer when Artemis stirred fitfully, "That's it. Why didn't I think of it before?" She grabbed her LEP helmet from the floor and jammed it on her head. "Foaly? Foaly, are you there?"  
  
It took a minute, but then, "Holly? That you? Hold on, let me adjust the frequency..." A blast of static went through her ear piece, then the centaur's voice came back crystal clear. "I can't believe you're making contact with Ops. Root's ready to kill you. That or make sure you never work for the Lower Element's police again. What are you doing in there? Setting up permanent residence?"  
  
"I may have to if Artemis never recovers from this so called pneumonia," Holly said, watching the aforementioned boy out of the corner of her eye, just in case.  
  
"So called pneumonia? Is there something wrong?"  
  
Holly would have snorted had anything about the situation been even remotely funny. "Yes, as a matter of fact. Artemis has had this stupid sickness for over a week now and he's no better. He's worse, even. Does that sound normal to you?"  
  
"Now, Holly," said Foaly reproachfully. She could just imagine his know-it-all smirk. "You should know that Mud Men don't have the immune systems of fairies. This could take weeks to clear up completely. No need worry your pretty little head."  
  
Holly was done playing. "He went into shock, Foaly," she said flatly. "I had to use the old LEP calming technique just to get him to breath again. Should I worry my pretty little head about that?"  
  
That seemed do get his attention. He was probably doing his calculating face now, brows all scrunched up and his mouth quirked. "Yes, that you should probably worry about. What are you suggesting?"  
  
"I don't know. But I know that if this keeps up, he....Oh, Foaly. I promised I would take care of him..." Holly tried to keep the tremor out of her voice, but her vocal chords couldn't quite pull it off.  
  
"No need to get upset, Holly," Foaly said gently. "Can you get me a blood sample? If there's something wrong with Artemis other than a puny human virus, I'll know what it is and most likely how to cure it."  
  
Holly was about to reply that she couldn't leave Artemis home alone when a voice called her name from the doorway. She told Foaly to hang tight and wrenched off the helmet. Butler stood at the threshold, looking travel beaten and wary. Holly jumped to her feet. "Butler, I'm so glad you're home. Is Juliet all right?"  
  
Butler brushed past her with a nod and a muttered, "She's upstairs sleeping," and moved swiftly to his former Principal's bedside. Holly could almost see the hope vanish from his face when he swept the boy's bangs aside and rested his palm on his forehead, undoubtedly feeling the fever's heat. "So he's no better, then," he said, his voice pinched with worry.  
  
Holly shook her head sadly. "No, I'm afraid not. But listen, Butler. I don't think this is any normal case of pneumonia. Foaly says he might be able to find out what's really wrong with Artemis, but he needs a blood sample. Now that you're back, I can take one to him..."  
  
Realizing that she was asking his permission, Butler nodded curtly. They both spun around sharply when Artemis groaned, seizing up in the grip of another coughing fit. Butler was at his side faster than Holly had time to blink, though she herself was not far behind. They gripped his pale arms tightly when he threatened to roll right off the bed, but the fit, while harsh, passed quickly. Artemis whimpered again, his head lolling slightly to one side. It was then that the two saw the bright red liquid gathered at the corners of his mouth, a small trickle already making its way down his cheek.  
  
"D'Arvit," Holly swore, and Butler followed her lead with a comment of his own. The manservant hung his head, and his voice came up sounding hollow and beaten. "Hurry and get that blood sample to Foaly. He doesn't have much time."  
  
Holly nodded shakily and pulled a hypothermic needle out of her LEP issue med pack. "Hold him still," she said to Butler, and inserted the tip into the faintly blue vein in Artemis's arm. Of course, being ill for so long had made Artemis hyper sensitive to pain, and he did not take well to the sharp implement being jabbed into his skin (who does?). However, Butler easily held him in place while Holly withdrew a sufficient amount and retracted the needle. Putting the sample into her bag carefully, Holly rested a hand on Butler's massive arm. "I'll be back as soon as I know the results."  
  
"Hurry," he said.  
  
Holly did not have to be told. As she ran down the corridor and into the main hall where her wings were resting on the hat rack, she slipped on her LEP helmet. "Foaly? Get me a private shuttle down to Ops. I don't care what Root will say, just do it. Tell him he can dock it from my next check for all I care. I've got to get down there and fast."

================================================================

::nervous glances:: Eh heh heh…romance. What can I say? ….It does things to people. Makes 'em act weird and such….::falls to knees:: I'm sorry! Was it OOC? I can't help it, they just come out that way! It's the romance, I tell you! THE ROMANCE!! But I do have an excuse for Arty: he was sick. Delirious! Come on now, that would make anyone act strangely! And Holly! She's a good person....fairy....right? No way she could be cold and uncaring in this situation....right? ::hopeless romantic::  
  
Some of you may be upset that I tortured Arty so much in the chappie…::pokes the cage of snarling fan girls with a ten foot pole and giggle:: What can I say, I'm just a certified bishie torturer. Don't worry! He'll get better! ::koffeventuallykoff:: Hee hee…. Oh and yes, I was inspired by the move Signs to write a portion of this chappie. You all probably noticed that, though. ::grin::

Read and review! Fourth chappie written and ready for ya!


	4. Sealed with a Kiss

Um….hi ::nervous smile:: It's been awhile. I do apologize. I went to Illinois a few days ago and forget to tell you all about it before I left. ::cringe:: My bad! But I'm back and ready with the fourth chapter…although it is kind of short in comparison to the last chapter. ::bows:: Gomen!  
  
Like always, a big, big,** BIG** thanks to all my reviewers. You guys are wonderful, simply first class . Keep up the good work!  
  
And I have a bit of bad news….this may be the last update for awhile. You see, I've fallen into an inspirational rut, so the production of chapters may dwindle. ::shifty eyes:: Well….Bye! Enjoy the fic!  
  
WARNING! WARNING! A wee bit of romance ahead! But it has a good reason! I promise!  
  
Arc: SS (should be the last part)  
  
Chapter Four: Sealed with a Kiss (Otherwise known as Tinkerbell's happy dust)   
  
While Holly waited anxiously underground for the results of Foaly's extensive tests, Butler waited above ground with a similar mentality. However, unlike Holly, he had Juliet to keep him company. The two siblings sat at opposite ends of Artemis's bed, Juliet complete with her leg in a cast and her neck in a brace and Butler with a carefully checked solemn look on his face. They offered comfort to each other in silence, touching an arm, squeezing a hand, smiling reassuringly. They hesitated to speak aloud, for fear of waking the boy lying on the bed, white as the sheets around him.  
  
Butler was in the middle of berating himself for leaving home, something he did every five minutes with fresh guilt, when Juliet gasped. Artemis was slowly awakening, his eyes blearily focusing on the two people hovering over him. "Domovoi...Juliet," he whispered, voice unable to pitch any higher. "You're home. Where's Holly?"  
  
"She'll be back soon, Artemis," said Butler, brushing wayward strands of raven locks from the youth's eyes. "Do you need anything? Something to eat, maybe? Or drink?"  
  
"No thank you," said Artemis, ever polite. He coughed a few times, brining up a fresh trail of blood to stain his porcelain cheek. Then, to the siblings' great shock, a tear trickled down from the corner of his eye, mingling with the blood on the way down. When next he spoke, the childish fear was easily detectable in his voice, despite his adult words. "Butler, at the risk of sounding cliché...everything is becoming hazy. I f-fear my time grows short."  
  
Butler encompassed one of the boy's frail hands in his own enormous one. "Don't talk that way, Artemis. You'll be fine. Holly will be back by morning with something to make you better."  
  
Artemis decided not to comment on that. Instead to turned to Juliet. "Hello, Juliet. I'm glad to see you're well. I was worried...you wouldn't come back to us. You've been a valuable member of my family. Both of you. I...I don't know what I would have done without you two. "  
  
She took his other hand, intertwining their fingers tightly, even if Artemis did not have the strength to squeeze back. "You're going to be all right, Arty," she said. Her own eyes were streaming now, but she did not attempt to dry them.   
  
Artemis shut his eyes tightly, twin tears falling from his lashes. "I wish...my parents were here..." he choked out.   
  
"You'll see them soon," Butler reassured him, bowing his head slightly to wipe at his eyes. "Just hold on. Hold on, my friend."  
  
===================================================================  
  
Captain Holly Short paced restlessly outside Foaly's lab, chewing her lower lip to threads. She'd been kicked out by the centaur for incessant badgering, reducing her to an apprehensive wreck. She checked her moonometer. Four-forty five AM. Nearly seven hours since she had left Fowl manor. How long could these tests possibly take? Surely not any longer than a day. Surely not...  
  
Holly was five seconds away from barging in there and demanding some results when Foaly emerged, a few sheets of paper in his hand. "Well?" she barked.  
  
Giving her a scathing look, Foaly decided against any sarcastic and, for once, got straight to the point. "I found a lead on what might be afflicting young Master Fowl, but the theory has some major holes in it."  
  
"Tell me anyway," Holly said instantly.  
  
Foaly reviewed his notes. "I ran several tests on that blood sample and they all come up saying the same thing. And this is where the holes pop up." He glanced at her over the top of the papers. "According to the tests, that boy's blood is loaded with pixie dust."  
  
Holly's face paled. Pixie dust was LEP slang for a dangerous narcotic made from ground pixie reeds. It was popular among juvenile fairies for its hallucinogenic properties when smoked, but, as every LEP knew, that when taken in mass quantities it was a deadly poison. There had been so many pixie dust related deaths in the late 1960's that the Council had outlawed its distribution all together, though it remained a hot item on the black market.  
  
Faced with all this, Holly's knees gave out on her and she sank into a nearby chair. "Pixie dust?" she whispered. "No, that can't be right. How would pixie dust get into Artemis's system? It's not possible."  
  
"No," agreed Foaly. "That's why I said the theory has major holes. But my computers never lie. It's pixie dust all right. In it's most undiluted form. If I had to guess, I would say the stuff is in a powder. And ruling out the possibility that Artemis is actually secretly addicted to the stuff, maybe it's being slipped into his food or water?"  
  
Holly shook her head weakly. "Impossible. I've been the only one home with him for days. Besides, he hardly ever eats. The only time he drinks is when he..."  
  
_ The pills!_  
  
Holly stood up so fast her ears rang. Foaly looked at her with alarm. "Holly, what is it?"  
  
She was so angry with herself she could hardly breath. How in the name of the Book had she missed something so obvious? She'd been careless, that's how. And now Artemis's life was in jeopardy. "It's those pills of his," she hissed in explanation. "He's been taking pills, ones that would supposedly cure his pneumonia. That would explain why he seemed to be better at first. D'Arvit! Every morning and night I've been giving him something that was slowly killing him!" She broke off for a breath. "Foaly, do you realize what this means?"  
  
"First that reporter and now this," the centaur moaned, shaking his shaggy head. "Julius's going to love it. Not only are we discovered, but some wayward fairy is trading illegal drugs with the Mud Men."  
  
"Foaly," said Holly, a hint of pleading to her voice, "tell me you can whip up a cure to this. Some sort of antidote?"  
  
"Surely. But it's meant for fairies, not humans. And it's a prototype, at best."  
  
"Do it," said Holly. Then she noticed the look the centaur was giving her. "What?"  
  
He sighed. "Holly, I hate to tell you this, but it looks like Artemis doesn't have much time left. The powder's wreaking havoc on his blood and nervous systems as we speak. You don't have much time. And from what you've told me, he'll be receiving a fresh dose within the hour."  
  
Swallowing down a lump of panic, Holly checked her moonometer. It read five o'clock. Butler was an early riser. He'd be ready to give Artemis his next shot of lethal narcotic any minute now. Adrenaline filled her veins, fueling her fear as well as her determination. "Have that antidote ready, Foaly," she called out her way out, "I'll be right back."  
  
"But it's nearly sunup!" Foaly protested.  
  
Holly replied with a statement that professed just how much she really did not care if the sun was up or down or frozen over, then she was off and running for the shuttleport. Unfortunately, she couldn't run far. There was a huge crowd milling around the port; with the lockdown on temporary reprieve, every fairy in the Lower Elements was clamoring to get out and visit the hotspots. After all, this might be their last opportunity to enjoy the moon. Holly felt bad for them, she really did, but this was not the time to be subtle. So she whipped out her badge and forcibly removed any fairy unlucky enough to get in her way. She had to exercise every ounce of control to keep from blasting a hole in the gnome at the ticket counter, but after a few badge waves (and a threat to actually carry out the previous act of violence) she was cleared for a personal transport up to the surface.  
  
The ride up and the flight to the manor was excruciating. Every second that ticked by was a second off Artemis's life, and Holly couldn't help but feel partly responsible. She could only pray that she wouldn't arrive too late.   
  
When the dark outline of the manor loomed into view, Holly went straight to the window and pounded on it hard enough to rattle wooden pane. Footsteps charged forward, and Butler threw open the glass. "Holly!"  
  
Somewhere in the darkness, Juliet's voice called, "Get in here, fairy girl!"   
  
Holly took the girl's invitation readily and alighted on the floor. Her heart pounding somewhere in the region of her throat, she glanced from Butler to the bed and then to Juliet. "Butler. Did you give him that last pill already?"   
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
Confused and frightened, Butler said, "Well, yes. I did. But it's not working. Holly, I don't understand."  
  
There wasn't a comment Holly could spare on that statement. She rushed to the bedside, dreading what she would find. But to her indescribable relief, Artemis was still alive. His breathing was shallow and slow, but he was alive. He didn't have much time, though. Perhaps not even enough to get him back to Ops. She would not think of that. Not now. She at least had to try. "Butler, pick him up," she commanded, readying a piton her moonbelt. Sensing the tone in her voice, the manservant obliged her without question. His huge arms lifted Artemis easily, too easily, enveloping his slight frame with the tenderness one would use to cradle a china doll. Holly tied them both to her moonbelt, reducing their gravitational pull so that she could effortlessly fly them out the window.  
  
Juliet climbed to her feet, or at least, her good foot. "I want to come!"  
  
Attached securely to the moonbelt, Butler was halfway out the window. "You stay here. Just in case Mr. and Mrs. Fowl return." Then he was gone, enveloped by the night.  
  
============================================================================  
  
The flight down to Haven was as easy and as fast as the flight up. It was going through the shuttleport that Holly was dreading; after all, it wasn't every day that two humans strolled into the Lower Elements. However, it couldn't have been simpler. The fairies in the crowd couldn't have given Holly and her entourage a wider birth if they'd come in bearing the Bubonic Plague. Of course, Holly received her fair share of looks, expressions that ranged from incredulity to terror to fury. She ignored them all and led Butler to Ops. where Foaly was waiting.  
  
"Finally," said the centaur when they appeared in his lab. His voice made him sound merely impatient to perform his newest experiment, but Holly did not miss his nervous four footed shifting or the way his lips pursed whenever he wasn't forcing them into a straight line. He was worried for Artemis, too.  
  
Butler did not spare time on analyzing and observing. "Hurry up and do whatever it is you're going to do," he said with a clipped briskness that came only from concern. "Artemis is fading fast."  
  
Foaly nodded and gestured at a stainless steel lab table, for once cleared of scientific gadgets and such. "Put him there for now. I made the antidote a little stronger than what is used on a fairy to compensate for a human's body structure, but I really have no idea how this is going to affect him." He picked up a vial containing a faded yellow liquid. "I don't suppose he can keep this down himself?"  
  
Holly and Butler shook their heads.  
  
"I figured as much," said Foaly, rummaging around in a drawer and pulling out a small syringe. He filled the chamber with the poisonous looking liquid and positioned the needle at the crook of Artemis's elbow. "Hold him down," the centaur said, looking uncharacteristically grim. "He isn't going to like this." When both Holly and Butler had a secure grip on the youth's arms, Foaly inserted the needle deep into Artemis's arm, searching for the vein that would carry the antidote throughout his system.  
  
As before, Artemis did not take kindly to the pain, which was something like getting a normal shot at the doctor's only multiplied by the factors of hyper sensitivity and the fact that the syringe was much larger than a regular needle. Despite his condition he did struggle against the grips on his arms, but it was a weak and futile effort. Too weak for Holly's comfort. And to everyone's growing horror, Artemis did not calm even after Foaly had injected all of the medicine and removed the needle. For a few moments Artemis's breath came fast and strangled, his limbs rigid and his mouth open in a silent call of distress. Then he stopped moving.  
  
Completely.  
  
Holly leaned closer, her heart hammering somewhere around in her throat. No breath. No pulse. No life. Her heart dropped to her stomach.  
  
Artemis was dead. They were too late.  
  
The Ops. booth was quiet as the death that had settled around it. Then Butler dissolved into tears, a sight that broke Holly's fluttering heart entirely. To see a nearly seven foot tall man such as Butler weeping over the motionless body of a pale, sixteen year old boy shook Holly's soul right down to the very core of her being. She just couldn't quite believe it herself. It was unreal. Death was not something she accepted well, especially when she could have prevented it from happening. She hadn't known about the pills, of course, but that didn't excuse her from being so damned oblivious. And now she had Artemis's blood on her hands, so to speak.  
  
Butler's overwhelming grief was contagious. Foaly bowed his head, looking genuinely remorseful. The centaur was about as close to shedding a tear as he would ever be, and over a Mud Boy at that. There was so much sadness and depression in that room, that still and silent room, there was an almost palpable weight that seemed to burden the shoulders of all present. The walls could have cried and it would not have been out of place.  
  
Holly couldn't stand it. She didn't like this new reality, this cruel slap in the face. So she did something that later she knew she might very well regret. Her mother would be ashamed of her, she knew, and the consequences could be dire. But she did it anyway. Holly spoke softly at first, barely above a whisper so that Foaly could not hear her in time to stop her. With her words she pulled up the magic within her, infusing it into her voice and creating the spell.   
  
_ "Thy burning life has been spent  
  
And in my heart a dagger rent.  
  
In life thou was mine kindred soul;  
  
In death, the soul is black as coal.  
  
To be without thee I cannot bare;  
  
Without thee my spirit tears.  
  
A fairy be I, a fairy dying...."_ Holly had to clear her throat to continue, the intense magic flooding her being causing her voice to break and croak.  
  
Foaly finally noticed what she was saying and his eyes became as round as dinner plates. "Holly, no. You...you can't be serious..."  
  
Holly ignored him and focused harder on the incantation.  
  
_ "Thy departure hast left me crying  
  
out for love lost and straying  
  
for our bond is slowly fraying.  
  
I cling to threads of love and caring  
  
So with thee life precious I am sharing.  
  
Turn thine eyes from golden gates,  
  
With my help defy the Fates.  
  
Take not heed to heavenly calls;  
_  
_ Turn away from pearly halls...."_ Again Holly paused, but this time it was to shut her eyes tightly, blocking out Foaly's stricken image. She could still hear him, pleading with her not to finish the spell, but Holly had no choice in the matter. She couldn't have stopped now even if she'd wanted to. The magic was coursing through her without control, pervading her veins and muscles and causing flickering blue sparks to dance across her nut brown skin. The last part of the spell required the utmost concentration, so Holly resolutely thought nothing of the burning that was beginning to sear her from the inside out nor every nerve that seemed to jolt and jump erratically. She forced herself to think only of the words and of the magic.  
  
_ "I shall bring thee back, I shall breath life in;  
  
This bond of blood and soul unspoken."  
_  
Butler and Foaly could scarcely believe that the deep, rich tone emanating from Holly's mouth could indeed be the female LEP officer speaking, for it sounded nothing like the Holly they knew. With each word the power that gathered around her crackled and hissed, sending the hairs on their necks standing on end. The air was electric with magic just begging to be released.   
  
_ "Take my hand,"_ Holly took Artemis's cold, limp hand in her own,_ "I shall not miss,"_ she leaned in closer, closer, so that their noses almost touched.  
  
"Holly, don't...." Foaly murmured on deaf ears.  
  
Holly opened her eyes, steeling herself for the last few lines. _"These promises...sealed with a kiss."_ Then she pressed her lips to his and the room exploded into blue and white sparks.   
  
Immediately Holly lost sight of Foaly and Butler. The moment her lips touched Artemis's she was hurled into a plain of absolute nothingness. The Ops. lab was gone. There was only whiteness and the veil of blue sparks that seemed to come from within her and from everywhere at once. She found that she could not pull away from Artemis, but she had no desire to. Instead she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tightly to her as they both floated soundlessly in a void of pure ivory.  
  
Holly had no way of knowing how long she stayed like that, her lips pressed to his in a chaste kiss. It could have been years or it could have been seconds; her sense of time was shot. But the next thing she knew she was looking right into the very blue eyes of Artemis Fowl, and suddenly he was kissing her back.  
  
It was at that moment that the Ops. booth reappeared and Holly was back on a lab table, holding a pale Mud Boy in her arms and being gawked at by a centaur and a massive body guard. Hurriedly she pulled away, finding that she could move again, and looked apprehensively down at the aforementioned Mud Boy. Artemis blinked slowly up at her, the sound of his deep, even respiration music to her ears. Then his eyelids fluttered and he drifted off to sweet slumber, though Holly did not miss the small contented smile that crept to his lips.   
  
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Kissy kissy _woo_!! Eh heh heh….. What can I say? I'm a drama queen! How'd ya like my poem/spell thingy? Came up with it all by muhself. As you can tell, I am definitely not a poet. Do you have any idea how many words there are that DON'T rhyme with kiss?! Yeesh, it's ridiculous! But it got the point across, right? ::Juliet/Artemis supports pick up their tomatoes:: Wait, wait! Before you start pummeling me, I did have a good reason for it! And that reason will be explained in the next chapter…when it comes out….  
  
Oh, and Juliet's "accident?" It may or may not have a relation to the elusive plot. I haven't decided yet. :: blows raspberry at strict plot lines::

But rest assured, those of you who do not like my coupling (why are you reading anyway?) this will be the first of very few kisses in this story, or so my muse tells me. I have one more actually planned, and believe me, it is a funny scene ::big smile::   
  
If you liked this chapter, review it please! Let me know if I should keep going, cause this story is all about you, the reader! ::waves banner:: Thanks!   
  
Oh yeah, and pixie dust has nothing to do with the gold glitter that Tinkerbell throws on happy little children. My kind of pixie dust would make you THINK you could fly….It's the fairy equivalent to CRACK!! Oo;


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